When to Create an Access Point

(DRAFT IN PROGRESS)

In an ideal world all agents, works, expressions, etc. would have authority records, but in reality, time constraints govern our ability to create new authority records (ARs). General guidelines for instances that might call for the creation of an authority record include:

Requesting the creation of/update to an authority record (for non-NACO trained catalogers)

If, after carefully checking all headings against the LC/NACO Authority File, a cataloger identifies an access point that they would like to have added to the NAF they should contact the head of the Rare Books Section or fill out the departmental form.  Before submitting a heading for consideration, catalogers should perform multiple searches for the agent/place/work/expression in the NAF as the rules for how to construct an access point have changed over the years.  If a cataloger discovers an error in an existing authority record OR has a resource in hand that provides additional information that would be valuable to add to the existing authority record (i.e. variant spelling(s) of a personal name) they should contact the head of the Rare Books Section with the relevant information.